Victims of Franco don’t want his family to profit from jewel sale
Victims of Francisco Franco have demanded that Christie’s halt the sale of $700,000 of family jewels to stop the descendants of the Spanish dictator profiting from his ill-gotten gains.
As part of a November 27 auction in London entitled ‘‘Important Jewels’’, three lots comprising a large diamond ring, an art deco emerald necklace and a pair of Cartier emerald earrings encrusted with diamonds are advertised as ‘‘the property of a Spanish family’’.
But victims of the fascist leader, who ruled Spain from the end of a bloody civil war in 1939 until his death in 1975, argue that the jewels are part of a family legacy ‘‘built on corruption, pillage and embezzlement’’. They say the origin of the fortune should be investigated before allowing Franco’s heirs to pocket money from sales.
In a letter seen by
the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory, representing Franco victims, asks the Spanish embassy to demand that Christie’s reveal the documents that accredit the Franco family with ownership, adding that, otherwise, the auction house could be an ‘‘accessory’’ to an illegal sale.
The association has also asked the Spanish culture ministry if it has investigated the origin of the jewels. Asked whether Christie’s was aware of the controversy concerning the Franco family’s gems, a spokesman said: ‘‘We respect and maintain the confidentiality of our clients out of courtesy to them and in line with market practices.’’
Carmen Franco Polo, the dictator’s only child, died in December 2017, leaving a fortune estimated to be worth more than $169 million (NZ$264.6m) to be divided between her seven children.
Among the family’s most controversial possessions is the Pazo de Meiras, a palace in northwestern Spain put on sale last year by Franco’s grandchildren at a price of $14m, despite a dispute over whether the building constitutes private or state property.
The government of Pedro Sanchez has since moved to reclaim the palace for the state through the courts.
Santiago de Compostela’s council is also suing the family for the return of two 12th-century sculptures from the city’s cathedral that are kept in the Pazo.
Franco’s body was exhumed from a tomb in the colossal Valley of the Fallen mausoleum near Madrid last month by the Socialist party government of Sanchez after a fierce legal battle waged by the dictator’s grandchildren, the Francisco Franco Foundation and members of the Catholic Church.